Healing Depression without Medication by Jodie Skillicorn D.O

Author:Jodie Skillicorn, D.O.
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781623173555
Publisher: North Atlantic Books
Published: 2020-02-04T16:00:00+00:00

Curcumin and Theanine

As I am writing this, I am sipping a cup of hot green tea mixed with turmeric and black pepper for warmth, comfort, and health. Turmeric, the golden spice, has been used for over four thousand years in India and China for flavor and healing. Its active ingredient, curcumin, has powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties. It promotes neurogenesis in the hippocampus and increases serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine levels. Better yet, turmeric is tasty and well tolerated with few side effects.

Recent trials have demonstrated curcumin’s antidepressant properties. One study showed that it worked as effectively as fluoxetine but with fewer side effects. Try adding turmeric to your food or tea, ideally with a bit of black pepper, which increases curcumin’s bioavailability. If you do not like the flavor, consider taking a 1,000-mg capsule for a safe, effective antidepressant.

My green tea also provides me with the amino acid L-theanine, which reduces stress and anxiety. Animal studies suggest theanine increases serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Human trials show that 50 mg of L-theanine increases alpha brain waves, which are associated with a relaxed, but alert and attentive, state of mind.

Another small but interesting placebo-controlled trial found that 200 mg of theanine worked as well as the benzodiazepine alprazolam (Xanax), but without the side effects and addictive potential. A 2018 Korean health and nutrition survey, including nearly ten thousand participants, found that consumers of green tea had a 21 percent lower prevalence of depression compared to nonusers. For the coffee lovers out there, the same study found a 24 percent lower depression rate for those who drink coffee (but adding sugar, cream, and chemical flavors likely cancels out any possible benefits). You can get your daily dose of theanine with green tea, or by taking a 200 to 400 mg chewable or capsule once to twice a day for anxiety and insomnia. Some people do report mild sedation and prefer to take it at night.

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